


Little Darling

by PhantomSpade



Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine, Showdown Bandit (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Actors, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, Cute, F/F, First Meetings, Fluff, Good Alice Angel, Light Angst, Love at First Sight, Mentioned Joey Drew, Minor Canonical Character(s), Mute Boris (Bendy and the Ink Machine), One Shot, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-29
Updated: 2019-09-29
Packaged: 2020-10-28 17:36:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20782481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhantomSpade/pseuds/PhantomSpade
Summary: Alice is an up and coming actress who has a lot of potential talent, but has to face a lot of pressure of keeping up with her more famous co-stars.Penny has always played supporting roles since she was a kid, but is perfectly happy as long as everyone enjoys the show.Naturally, a meeting at lunch sparks a little something between these two women.





	Little Darling

**Author's Note:**

> Bendy and the Ink Machine & Showdown Bandit (c) Kindly Beast

Alice was aware from the start that the world of acting would be rough and unforgiving sometimes. She didn't consider herself an optimistic woman, but she hoped that luck would be on her side. For a couple of years since she graduated acting school, Alice had only did supporting roles and bit parts in lesser-known shows and plays, and occasionally musicals thanks to her great singing. 

But for Alice Angel, she wanted more. She wanted to be part of the main cast. She wanted to be one of the big leagues. 

So when she first tried out for the main role on the famous Bendy Show, she gave it all she got. She sang, she danced, she poured out all emotion and effort in the character she was auditioning for. 

Now a year later, she was completely integrated into the Bendy crew. Yet, Alice was rather wistful at her current position in her profession. She was still a newcomer in the eyes of everyone else, so she didn't have a lot of recognition nor popularity like Bendy (and Boris for that matter). 

"Hey Alice! Would you like to have lunch with me and Boris at the Canvas Cafe? My treat!" 

Bendy asked, his toothy grin flashing as he and Boris looked at her with hopeful expressions. The wolf, of course, just wanted to eat some food before they would get back to work. He was as gluttonous as the character he played, and Alice envied his unusually high metabolism. 

Unlike the mischievous devil he played in the show, Bendy was extremely friendly and well-behaved. It struck a bit of irony in Alice that he wasn't anything like a demon he portrayed despite being one. Yet she enjoyed his company and appreciated how helpful he was with boosting her career. 

Besides, anything was better than the bacon soup Joey had been advertising for the show. 

"Okay." Alice said. 

Bendy's face lit up a bit, happy that his co-star and friend accepted his lunch invitation. Boris, on the other hand, gave out a silent huff and put on a pair of glasses and a hat, with Bendy and Alice following suit. 

Being the main stars of the Bendy Show, the trio had to be careful with going out in public and avoid the fans. Alice had her own fan base, but they were smaller and less vocal than the Bendy fans. It served as another reminder of how overshadowed she was. 

She hopes it would change in the future. 

* * *

Alice always loved the fall weather. The leaves changing color and falling, the temperature at a moderate cooling breeze, and the sky not as sunny like in the summer. Perfect time to wear her sweater and tying her hair back. 

To the gang's luck, the Canvas wasn't too busy near lunch hour, with only a few people dining in today. They had already placed their orders and seated themselves at one of the unoccupied tables. Boris was the most impaitent out of the three, tapping his foot rapidly as he kept glancing back at the counter every two seconds. He really wanted his food. 

"Oh come on, Boris. They'll be done in a jiffy! Maybe take a sip of your water to help with the hunger pains?" 

Boris scoffed, but didn't make any sign of complaint as he took a few gulps of his water before setting the glass down and resumed watching the counter. It secretly amazed Alice how Bendy was able to understand Boris since the latter didn't talk. 

"Are you always hungry, Boris? Just this morning, you had a big serving of bacon soup with heaps of scrambled eggs on the side." 

Boris shrugged, barely paying attention to what Alice said. Bendy gave a goodhearted laugh as he played with his straw. 

"He just has a big appetite. He's a big wolf, so he has to eat a lot." 

"Oh." Alice said before turning away, deciding to look at the paintings on the wall before them while tuning out the one-sided conversation between the men. Alice was very social in general, but today she felt like keeping to herself. 

After a few minutes of staring at the wall drawings, Alice turned her bored gaze elsewhere and her breath hitched.

From two tables away from the three, there was a young woman sitting with a book in her hands while mindlessly nibbling at her sugared brownie. She looked pretty in her cream-colored blouse and long skirt, and from where Alice could see, she had vivid red curls sitting under her little sun-hat. The woman was practically a porcelain doll that looked out of place. 

"-lice? Alice? Are you okay? Yoohoo." 

Alice didn't realize that she had spaced out until a gloved hand waved in front of her face. She turned towards her friend to see his worried expression. 

"What were you thinking about? It's not like you to stare off into space." Bendy asked. 

The angel momentarily faltered, mentally debating on telling him the truth or changing the subject. Bendy tended to be rather nosey out of concern and curiosity for his friends, something that he shared with his character. 

"That girl over there with the sun-hat. I think she looks familiar." 

Alice wasn't really lying, though she left out her instant attraction towards the redhead. She did have the feeling that she saw her somewhere before, yet she couldn't place her finger on it. 

Bendy followed her line of sight and saw the dainty little redhead across them. He rubbed his chin in thought, his mind trying to work out something. 

"Come to think of it, I might've seen her somewhere before! Though, I can't see her face from over here..." 

Alice peered over at Boris and was a little surprised to see the wolf sparing a glance at the redheaded girl. Of course, that didn't last long as he went back to longing for his food, his interest already lost. Alice almost wanted to scoff at the wolf's obsession with eating. 

Just then, a bell went off from the counter, the barista holding a small drink in her hand as she called out for the owner. 

"Penny! Your caramel macchiato is ready!" 

The woman-Penny-stood up from her seat and placed her book down. Of course, she turned away towards the counter before Alice could see her face, much to her dismay. It was short-lived when the barista called out the next order. 

"Numbers 3, 6, 8, and 10 for Joey, Tom, and Allison!" 

Seeing the opportunity to meet the mysterious woman, Alice stood up and said abruptly, "I'll get our order." 

Her feet already began moving before Bendy could say anything to her. Out of nervousness, Alice quickened her pace towards the counter where Penny received her drink and paid for it. 

Again, Alice belatedly realized that she was in a daze when almost collided with the other woman. The coffee in her hand fell out and tumbled to the floor, the rich liquid spilling out and creating a large puddle next to their feet. 

Alice wanted to facepalm at her own stupidity. 

"Oh I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to bump into ya like that! Are you okay?"

The woman's voice was rather light and soothing with a southern twang to it, which the angel liked. Alice was sure that she heard that voice before. 

"No no, it's alright. I wasn't paying attention, so it's my fault." 

When Alice looked up to see the girl of her affections, she nearly froze in disbelief. It finally dawned onto her who the familiar redhead was. 

"Penny Hemsworth?" 

Penny's brown eyes widen in surprise while her cheeks got rosy, though it soon faded into a sheepish smile as she tugged her hat down a bit. 

"Ahehe, dang it. I thought no one will see through my disguise. I guess I shoulda been more careful. Then again, I used my own name, so...hehe." 

Alice fought the urge to take out her notebook and ask for the other woman's autograph, instead opting to clean up the mess beneath them. Penny quickly joined her while continuing to spout out apologies, insisting that she be the one to clean up the mess. 

It was the Penny Hemsworth, one of the actors from the popular Showdown Bandit show. The cheerful cowgirl character that Alice idolized. And crushed on. 

"Say, you're Alice Angel from the Bendy Show! You're a lot prettier than you appear on camera!" 

The angel's cheeks redden, keeping her face towards the floor so Penny wouldn't see it. While she had been complimanted many times before and was flattered, it was different with Penny. Something about her made the angel's heart beat faster than normal and her mouth running dry. 

She shook herself out of her daze and composed herself a bit. 

"Thank you. Would you..like to sit with us for a bit? I got two drinks anyway." 

For a moment, Penny's eyes lit up at the offer and her face flushed a bit. She nodded her head with a cheerful hum and said, "I would be happy to, Miss Angel!" 

Alice coughed a bit before standing up alongside Penny, both of them giving up on cleaning up the coffee puddle. The angel hoped that the other woman wouldn't mind a pumpkin spice frappe. She actually ordered two for Boris, but she didn't mind giving one to Penny. 

Soon a custodian came rushing in from the restroom, apologizing to the women for taking so long and taking over the puddle. Alice immediately rushed to pick up her and the gang's lunch, with Penny insisting on helping her since Boris had ordered a heavy load on his part. Alice was a little embarrassed, but she appreciated the gesture. 

The redhead whistled at the pile of food she was carrying. "My, this is quite a little feast you got there! Actin' does burn a lot of calories, so I understand." 

Alice quickly shook her head at the misunderstanding. "Actually, most of it is for Boris. I'm uh..watching my weight." 

Penny looked at her apologetically. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean anything bad by it!" 

For the fifth time today, Alice shook her head. She wondered how it didn't fall off yet with all the shaking she did. "Oh no, you're fine! Anyway, thank you for your help..." 

Alice was mentally relieved that the conversation came to an end when the two made it to the table. Boris perked up when Penny put his meal down in front of him, and he proceeded to stuff his face. Bendy smiled in greeting before his face lit up in recognition at Penny. 

"Ah, now I remember! You're Penny-hmm!" 

Abruptly, Boris shoved a part of his sandwich into Bendy's mouth, preventing the demon from making a rather big mistake of blowing Penny's cover. Seeing the little demon trying to eat the sandwich made the redhead erupt into a fit of giggles. 

Alice was really trying to stop the butterflies in her stomach. 

When Bendy managed to swallow his whole meal down, he took a deep breath and immediately entered a conversation with Penny, leaving Alice to sat quietly by the side. 

"So it's just you on break?" Bendy asked. 

"No, Lorelei is comin' in a few. Mr. Handler and Mr. Bublik wanted to talk with the rest of the crew, so it's just me and her." 

"You know, we're all big fans of Showdown Bandit! I know we're kind of like rivals, but I love watching you guys! Bandit is like me! Well, his character is like mine, but you get what I mean. Hahaha!" 

"Aww shucks. Bandit woulda appreciate hearin' that from you. We love your show too, so the feelin's mutual." 

At the moment, jealousy formed a tight knot in Alice's chest at the two happily chatting away. Deep inside, Alice always harbored bitterness towards the demon's likability, something that she was working on. To her, he was one of the lucky ones. He was popular from the get-go while she was acknowledged by only a handful of people. 

"Actually, Alice here is a really big fan of yours. She always loved hearing you sing and thinks you're very pretty. She thinks you're the best." 

Alice wanted to melt into a puddle, embarrassment and anger burning up her face as she glared at Bendy. She knew that he wasn't being malicious about it, but sometimes, he had a big mouth that he couldn't keep shut. 

That was why she sometimes preferred Boris's silence over Bendy's chatterbox habit. 

Penny blushed a bit and scratched her cheek, a smile of appreciation appearing on her gentle features. Alice just wanted to continue admiring the woman's elegant beauty. 

"Oh t-thank you kindly...But I just play the store owner. If anything, I...I-I think Miss Angel is the best actress I've ever seen. Better than I am..." 

The comment surprised Alice a lot. Sure, she was told by Joey and Sammy that she had the potential, but to hear her crush saying that she was better than herself? This was the first time she ever received such praise, and from her idol no less. It both made her heart skip and mind go into a circle. 

Before she knew it, Alice took Penny's hands into her own and gave her an incredulous look. 

"Really? But you've been in the acting business much longer than I have, and you're my age! You make any role look good, and your singing is absolutely amazing! You are actually my inspiration-" 

When she saw that Penny was wide-eyed and blushing brightly at her, it took her a second to acknowledge what she was doing and hastily pulled her hands back to her sides. Alice bereted herself for acting so stupid in front of her crush. 

Yet, her worries went away the moment Penny smiled at her tenderly. 

"My, I-I that makes very happy to hear that, Miss Angel." 

Alice returned the smile and twirled her ponytail rather coyly. 

"Please, call me Alice. I-I would like if we hang out sometime..." 

The two shared a long gaze together, briefly forgetting their surroundings to focus on each other. Alice admired how doe-like Penny's eyes were; they really added the appeal to Penny's portrayal as the darling cowgirl of her show. She could stare into the rich dark brown forever. 

Penny broke the gaze when she looked around Alice and gave a small wave. Confused, the angel turned towards the entrance to see a tall woman with dark hair and red dress. That must've been Lorelei. 

"Ah! Lorelei's here! Anyway, thank ya for the company! I hope to see y'all again!" 

In a haste, the redhead took out a pen and a piece of paper and began scribbling down something. When she was done, she put the scrap down in front of Alice, giving her a small wink before getting up. With a polite wave, Penny went back to her original table and gestured her friend over. 

Bendy took a quick bite of his bagel as he smiled. "Boy, I never thought we meet Penny here. I hope we can meet Showdown Bandit the next time we come here!" 

Alice didn't reply to Bendy's remark, eyes fixated on her new valuable possession: Penny's phone number, along with a little message written beneath it. 

_Next time, just the two of us~_

It appeared that Alice has something to really look forward in the world of acting. 


End file.
